I have noticed some really great knives on the tele-shopping channel and I was thinking to ask for your advice. The knives do not have a familiar brand but they seem to do what they were designed to: cut cut cut. The brand is called Shaolin, maybe you have heard of it.

I would avoid any product advertised on tele-shoppping channels. I can guerantee that you'll find a better deal online.

I have noticed some really great knives on the tele-shopping channel and I was thinking to ask for your advice. The knives do not have a familiar brand but they seem to do what they were designed to: cut cut cut. The brand is called Shaolin, maybe you have heard of it.

I tried a couple search engines and Shaolin knife or knives shows nothing. Sorry I can't help you out.

I stopped using European chef's because they literally cannot hold an edge as compared to the Japanes knives.

Ya got that right!

ERdept wrote:

I stick with the Japanese makers. Superior steel, such as Aogami Supersteel and Hitachi steels.

Hitachi is the manufacturer of Aogami (AKA blue super). The also make blue #1, blue #2, white 1&2, yellow, ZDP-189 powdered stainless, etc. Blue super is my carbon steel of choice but either of the whites is a close second and considerably cheaper.

ERdept wrote:

Solved all that by specifying more rocker in my ordered knife. Blade heavyness necessitates a pinch grip or change in cutting style or technique. No big deal.

Let me hang it out by bursting a bubble as I state that a "rocking" big bellied blade as a desireable attribute is a myth. You don't need a knife that 'rocks". Watch Curtis Chung using a Chuckabocho. Shown are several cutting and chopping techniques including "rocking" where the tip never leaves the cutting surface. The blades on both of these Chuckas are dead flat. http://youtube.com/watch?v=x9GzpSei6u0

ERdept wrote:

Prep becomes a pleasure and "fun" once you have a good tool to do it with.

I stopped using European chef's because they literally cannot hold an edge as compared to the Japanes knives.

Ya got that right!

ERdept wrote:

I stick with the Japanese makers. Superior steel, such as Aogami Supersteel and Hitachi steels.

Hitachi is the manufacturer of Aogami (AKA blue super). The also make blue #1, blue #2, white 1&2, yellow, ZDP-189 powdered stainless, etc. Blue super is my carbon steel of choice but either of the whites is a close second and considerably cheaper.

ERdept wrote:

Solved all that by specifying more rocker in my ordered knife. Blade heavyness necessitates a pinch grip or change in cutting style or technique. No big deal.

Let me hang it out by bursting a bubble as I state that a "rocking" big bellied blade as a desireable attribute is a myth. You don't need a knife that 'rocks". Watch Curtis Chung using a Chuckabocho. Shown are several cutting and chopping techniques including "rocking" where the tip never leaves the cutting surface. The blades on both of these Chuckas are dead flat. http://youtube.com/watch?v=x9GzpSei6u0

ERdept wrote:

Prep becomes a pleasure and "fun" once you have a good tool to do it with.

Good tool by Shinichi Watanabe -

I watched the vids. Thanks. One of the Chukabochos is flat and one has rocker. Look at the vid and you'll see in the side by side frame that the right one is absolutely flat and the one on the left has some curvature to the blade.

The blade with a little bit of belly is a Mizuno. The dead flat edge is a Moritaka. I have a nearly identical Moritaka, also dead flat. He "rocked" with both of them, and I rock mine as well. The flat edge is also great for chopping up large amounts of parsley and the like in a hurry, no rocking required.

I have a Takeda 240 Gyuto which is neck in neck with a Yoshikane 240 SKD for my all time favorite knife. I'd love to get one of his Nakiris but I'd have trouble looking my wife in the eye because I already have a Moritaka 165 which is super thin and a Murry Carter 6 sun on order which should be here in less than a month. I think I'm about knifed out.

I had planned to drive up to Atlanta for the knife show on May 30th. Both Takeda and Watanabe will have tables there. Something came up and my wife and I have to be in Minneapolis that weekend. Takeda will also be at the knife show in Chicago in mid-September. I might be able to make that one. Hope so.

The handles are actually made by apicius9 on another forum. He's a college professor in Hawaii and does it for a hobby. Dave does the actual installation and does a terrific job. The handles usually look better in hand than on the pictures.

I hope you're having Dave sharpen your knives while he has them. He's the best free hander I've ever seen His edges are positively amazing.